Money Museum

Visiting the Currency Museum in Lisbon was a truly unique experience. One of the highlights for me was the opportunity to hold a 12-kilogram gold bar in my own hands — I was genuinely surprised by how heavy it felt compared to its size. The museum beautifully traces the entire evolution of money, from the barter system to modern paper currency. I found it fascinating to learn about the various techniques and machinery used to mint coins and print banknotes, and to see how money evolved from simple trade objects to coins and, eventually, to the notes we use today. It’s both educational and engaging — a must-visit for anyone curious about history and economics.

Arrived an hour before close time and didn’t get the ticket, which is for free, so couldn’t enjoy some of the interactive exhibitions, such as taking a picture of your head and you can download a copy of the paper money with your head on it. The ground floor has a vault where you can touch the gold and the rest of the exhibition is a bit boring. However, the first and second floors are great. You can see the history of the money evolution and money from different countries. Interactive exhibitions are also interesting, with some sections suitable for kids.

The Money Museum was a pleasant surprise for us, given that it was free we weren't expecting much but it was really well done with excellent exhibits and areas that were laid out very well and very informative. The interactive exhibits were a lot of fun as well for both kids and adult, we certainly learned a lot. The staff there were also very friendly and kind as well. You couldn't ask for a better experience that was also free. Absolutely worth a visit if you're in Lisbon.

Visiting the Museu do Dinheiro in Lisbon was a surprisingly fascinating experience that I would recommend to anyone curious about history and culture. Situated inside the historic Church of São Julião, the museum offers a unique glimpse into the world of money, banking, and the evolution of commerce throughout the centuries. The building itself, beautifully restored, adds a rich atmosphere to the exhibits with its old stone walls and elegant design. Inside, I enjoyed interactive displays where I could even mint my own virtual coin and learn about the origins of currency in Portugal and beyond. One of the most impressive features is the access to a part of the old city wall beneath the museum, connecting visitors even further to Lisbon’s past. The entrance is free, which makes it even more attractive for travelers looking for valuable experiences without spending much. Although the museum is not very large, it is well-organized, educational, and very family-friendly. It is definitely a place worth visiting for a couple of hours if you want to discover another side of Lisbon beyond its typical tourist attractions.

Such an interesting museum all about money! It is free to enter but has plenty to see and explore. I was pleasantly surprised to find exhibits featuring Asian currencies from the time when Portugal was expanding its influence around the world.

A very interesting both technical and pedagogical museum in Lisboa. Sponsored by Bank of Portugal it offers free access in an interactive space loaded with history: that of the XVIIIth century building that was built as São Julião church before being bought by the Bank and in 2016 reopened as museum after renovation and parasismic reinforcement, that of the exposition in the basement of King Dinis wall (XIIIth century) and the history of the urbanization of Lisbon through a short animated métrage. Really worth the visit which is offered for free.

Ironically, the money museum seems to be the only free museum in Lisbon! Overall it was a fun and interactive experience. Enjoyable for all ages. Don't miss King Dinis' wall which is down a set of stairs which can be easily missed.

All good, amaizing stuff that is used to tell you about done history, statistics in a playful way. One thing that I don't like that there are excursions with teenagers and the teenagers make a lot of noise, they are not interested in the museum

Was walking in Alfama and stumbled across this FREE museum. On entry, you do need to go through a metal detector and bags and all items through X-ray like at the airport because I think this is a working bank? Not really sure why, but makes you feel safe. Go to get a ticket because the displays with change based on language. This museum really focuses on 1974 and the change in banking in Portugal due to the revolution. There are some interact displays for kids and why you need a ticket because you put the ticket in the machine to get it to interact in your language. This museum gets 5 stars because it is FREE, super clean, has great working very cold AC, clean bathrooms, WIFI, free drinking water machine near the bathrooms with super cold water, comfortable seats at entry to sit and relax and refresh, and great views of Alfama from 2nd floor. Bathroom: super clean

It took me three years to go to the Museu do Dinheiro because, while it's free and right downtown, I've been to a lot of similar museums that were super boring. Lots of coins and bills in glass cases. I finally went because I had someone visiting and it was raining. I figured we'd go here and to the other free archaeology site downtown and still have time to get a coffee. Nope. The space is big: three levels of exhibits about money, plus the basement archeological finds. All of the exhibits are in English and Portuguese. If you're a history nerd and actually interact with the exhibits, you can easily spend three plus hours there like we did. If you're not a nerd, you can touch a gold bar, get a (picture of a) coin with your face on it, and use the bathrooms for free before going to drink at the quiosque outside. The interactive exhibits were kind of confusing, but trying to figure them out was part of the fun. My friend and I are both trying to learn Portuguese history, so it was particularly cool to see artifacts and piece things together. While there are coins and bills in glass cases, they worked really hard to explain why each item is interesting and present it in an engaging way.

We spent a little less than an hour in the museum and went mainly to see King Denis's wall. There is a cool, 3D exhibit of the space and you can watch the history of money by following an exhibit of coins through the ages. We didn't get through the entire museum so missed some of the good items mentioned in other reviews. What we saw was certainly cool.

Free entrance wed-sunday. They got interactive exhibits. Great for kids 10+ and adults who like to have fun. There are 15 different parts of the meseum, takes about an hour, and hour and half to visit them all.

It's free and that's a good start. Then it's full of interesting history, the history of money. Focused on the story of Portuguese currencies through the ages, the museum was founded by the Bank of Portugal who continue to maintain it. The building is the former Church of São Julião so it's just a stunning setting. The vault door is pretty darned cool! Then a well-curated progression of currency exhibits that includes a 7th century BC coin, Chinese "Knife Money" from the 4th century BC, Brazilian gold coins, a Japanese Oban coin from 1862 and more. There is a history of the Euro and a huge collection of currency worldwide (I didn't see any US Dollars though). Many exhibits are interactive and set low enough that kids can participate. In the basement is King Dinis' Wall, an archaeological project that uncovered the city wall from 1294. Neat. Super interesting and well worth your time. [Review 19035 overall - 230 in Portugal - 4 of 2023.]

Free museum through wed-sun, with the information about the evolution of money in Portugal and the world.

A free money museum in an old beautiful bank that was once a church. It opened in 2016 & I found the 509 year old wall in the basement the most impressive. Amazing all of the artifacts excavated from this site in the 1200's and before.

Visited on September 4, 2019. The "money museum" is set in a gorgeous building. There are interactive stations with quizzes, touching a real gold bar in a very cool looking vault/safe, the ability to put your face on a banknote and coin among other activities (all free of charge!). There's also some ruins in the basement. One can easily spend 2-3 hours here & it was one of the best attractions in Lisbon.